


Braidmaster Deryn, Master of Braids

by InfernalPume



Category: Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld
Genre: Family Bonding, Gen, Pregnant, but thats only mentioned once, deryn sharp is worst mom but she tries her best, hair braidin time!, mother daughter bonding!, preparation for a biiiig party!, she is also pregnant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-19
Updated: 2017-01-19
Packaged: 2018-09-18 13:37:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9387467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfernalPume/pseuds/InfernalPume
Summary: prompt: Deryn how rad is your braid game





	

Deryn didn’t like these parties.

She didn’t like them wearing trousers back when she was an assistant to the Lady Boffin, she didn’t like them in skirts when studying for her doctorate, and just above twenty years since joining the society she still didn’t like them all dolled up in her captain’s uniform either. She knew it was going to be even _worse_ this time, instead of being Dr. Barlow’s pretty apprentice or Alek’s social outcast of a wife Deryn was a barking guest of honor.

The Fawcett Society had been sponsoring Deryn for _ages_. When it was first announced she would be serving aboard the _Mazikeen_ Deryn had been invited to their ranks, but the society forbid her to meet with any of its members. Deryn herself didn’t mind particularly at first, up until she received her first pay grade as an officer, that is. Even after that Deryn was more an honorary member then anything. She contributed to the society just but doing her job and proving she could as well as any man. But with Ms. Fawcett gone and many of the core members too old to make much of a fuss, Deryn was the only mascot they had left. This meant that when Deryn Hohenberg Sharp attended a Society function everyone and their gran lined up to greet her while she sat pretty at the center table under the public gaze without a hope of escape.

Usually Deryn tried her best to avoid London when Millicent’s Memorial Fundraiser rolled around. It would only amount to her trying to booze her way through the evening without Alek’s notice while she overheard her name brought up in discussions of the ‘accomplishments of modern feminism.’ But then she had gone and gotten herself knocked up again and was stuck in London until the little bugger was out. The cheery event organizer had gone on about how ‘Lucky’ it was that Deryn was in town, whilst Deryn silently mused the only lucky thing was that she was early on enough to wear her uniform and not one of those awful maternity gowns.

It seemed like the twins were excited however, particularly Emmaline. This came as a shock to Deryn who had always seen the girl as something of an introvert, but apparently there was some personal hero of hers in attendance. Marina, Deryn suspected, just wanted to spend time together as a family, and what could Deryn say to _that?_

So she gussied up like a good puppet and waited in the kitchen for the dreaded hour while the nanny did battle with the twins upstairs. Alek sat behind her looking elegant like the handsome bumrag he was, mercifully not commenting on the dark tints around Deryn’s eyes where she had washed off her first disastrous attempts at make up.

“It is only one evening,” he said comfortingly, “You might even enjoy yourself.”

“I’m not allowed to _drink_ Alek,” she reminded him.

There was a loud _thud_ that punctuated Emmaline’s screech of “But I took a bath this morning!”

Deryn glanced up at the sounds of a small girl being dragged to the bathroom and frowned.

“I feel like I should get involved,” she admitted.

“Last time your orchestrated dressing the girls for a public function security had to confiscate a scalpel from Emmaline.” Alek said flatly.

“I thought I got them all…” Deryn mumbled, plucking a petal from the vase of flowers on the kitchen table to fiddle with nervously.

Soon a very exhausted Pelly lurched down the stairs and informed them that both girls were presentable. Alek smiled sympathetically to her and pressed a few extra notes into her hand.

“You were a godsend as usual, Pelly,” he said as he lead her out, “I take it you’ll need me to drive you home?”

As Alek grabbed his coat and hat Deryn watched her daughters come to stand in the kitchen for inspection like prisoners to the noose. Pelly really was a miracle worker, there was hardly any trace of struggle or dirt on either of them. Maybe it was just because she’s been a bit broody lately, but Deryn felt a sudden lurch of maternal pride and mused that she had to have the prettiest little lassies on the face of the Earth.

Marina stood three inches taller then her sister, poised and perfect with her soft blue eyes and shiny bronze hair draping about her shoulders like tree vines. Despite her scowl even Emmaline looked less like a raving nutter then usual, and more like the daughter of an honored guest. Her mess of blonde hair was tied up into neat little ringlets that hung in rows on either side of her head, and Deryn was baffled to find that Pelly had actually managed to get a small black ribbon to top each bundle. Despite all this, a fire of rebellion gleamed behind those polished glasses, Deryn made a note not to let the lass out of her sight. Both girls wore matching navy frocks that hung down a few inches above their white stockinged knees, matched with little black shoes as dark and shiny as riverstones.

The illusion wasn’t even ruined by Emmaline’s profanity when Deryn rose to kiss each of their heads.

“ _Gross!_ ” was her least offensive exclamation as she leapt back, while her sister bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet.

“I was going to wear my ribbons tonight!” Marina said, “But Pelly said I could wear pins like a lady!”

She twirled and the thin ropes of shimmery hair stayed perfectly in place, the metal of her hairclips sparkling in the electrical lights.

“Very nice,” Deryn said with a smirk, “Pretty as a box of peacocks.”

Marina grinned ear to ear and spun again, Emmaline still scowling beside her.

“Then why am _I_ in ribbons?” she grumbled, to which Marina only stuck out her tongue.

Deryn chuckled and shook her head, then had an idea.

“Do you like shiny things Marina?” she asked, “I’ve got a whole box of them upstairs if you’d want to have it.”

The way Marina lit up warmed Deryn’s heart, as well as bolstered her pride. It also made her a _little_ guilty, considering Deryn also just wanted an excuse to never touch her jewelry box again, but only in a darker corner of her mind. Still, Marina was far lovelier then even Deryn had been at her age, the girl much was more suited to dainty little things like pearls and hairpins. Deryn left the girls to go find the box in question, wondering if she could convince Alek to pierce one of the girls ears and rid Deryn of her earrings too. 

Upon pulling the dusty neglected box from its place in a shoe cupboard Deryn heard a crash and a screech from down stairs.

“You…you did that on _purpose!”_ Marina shouted in a high broken voice.  

“N-no I…” Emmaline spluttered.

Cursing that she couldn’t leave the girls alone without them trying to _kill_ each other for three minutes she arrived to see Marina soaking wet and shaking while a white faced Emmaline tried to babble out apologies. Deryns gaze slid across both girls, then finally to the vase of flowers that lay emptied on the floor. The moment Marina spotted Deryn she spun and pointed a finger.

“ _Mummy!”_ She sobbed, _“_ Emmy poured water on me!”

“I didn’t!” Emmaline said, “I just wanted to _shove_ her!”

Deryn’s stomach went cold as her daughters looked at her expectantly. Swallowing the sudden lump in her throat, she sighed.

“Um…well let’s get you changed first…” Deryn said, “Then we’ll think about…all that.”

Marina’s lip quivered but she nonetheless followed Deryn upstairs to dry off and don a new dress. Deryn tried her best to dry her head, but with all the pins and ties she couldn’t make sense without dismantling the entire hairdo. This was no sweat off Deryn’s back, nothing was worth her lass catching cold, but she couldn’t help but notice the distressed way Marina looked at her ruined appearance.

“C-can we call Pelly back?” She asked, looking up at her with those large blue eyes that just about broke Deryn’s heart.

“Um…” Deryn said, knowing full well no chains of love or iron would bring that woman back to this house after getting paid, “Well, then we might be late for the party, wouldn’t we?”

Marina deflated and muttered a half hearted “Okay.” And resigned to looking at herself dully in the mirror.

“Well…” Deryn mumbled, “ _I_ could do it for you…”

Emmaline snorted a laugh from where she had followed them to the doorframe.

“What,” Deryn asked, “You think I can’t do it?”

Marina flushed and played with a strand of sodden hair, “Pelly’s was so nice looking…”

Well this was all a bit much. Deryn could tie every rigging knot there was in a few seconds, surely she could do just the same with hair.  

“I’ll do you one _better._ ” She insisted with a huff.

 

* * *

 

Hair was a lot different then rope. For one, it was made up of a bunch of tiny threads that were already oily from the special lotions Pelly had rubbed into Marina’s scalp, making them slip away from each other like a golden brown stream. Deryn had half a mind to send Emmaline to get some _glue._

Marina kicked her feet as Deryn worked, looking into a hand mirror and smiling from ear to ear. It seemed the girl was more enthusiastic by the ritual itself then the result, humming and cooing as she always did when Deryn coddled her. Deryn usually thought the practice utterly _adorable,_ but now it just put more pressure on Deryn to do a good job.

Which she _wasn’t,_ by the way.

Finally she decided half way through to dismantle the entire affair, choosing instead to go with twin plaits down her back. Perhaps ‘twin’ was too generous a word however, as they weren’t at all identical. One was longer then the other, and there were tufts of hair busting out of the braid in random clumps. Still, at least Marina wouldn’t be skewered by Deryn’s handiwork.

Marina twirled in front of Deryn’s supportive eyes a few times the picture of girlish glee.

“Thank you Mummy!” she said, bouncing on the balls of her feet before rushing over to hug Deryn’s middle.

Deryn put a hand to her back and huffed out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t so bad _really_ she supposed. Marina was a pretty enough lass to go without any hair at all, though Deryn wouldn’t care to see it happen. Hand in hand Deryn and Marina rose to go wait for Alek downstairs, but suddenly found the door blocked by Emmaline.

Soaking wet Emmaline.

“Me next! Do me!” she squealed.


End file.
